Mr. H.J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 251 



cation is of great weighty taking H. ruficapillus as the most 

 typical species of the genus (on which point, however, I do 

 not agree with him)"^, considers the affinities of Henicurus 

 to be with the Myiotherinse, and says, " the relation of this 

 genus to the Wagtails I consider to be one of analogy rather 

 than affinity/' 



This point will best be settled by a careful anatomical inves- 

 tigation ; but as I unfortunately neglected to preserve the bodies 

 of those species which I have personally observed, and am un- 

 able to obtain the necessary materials, I must leave it for the 

 present undecided. It will be observed, however, that Henicu- 

 rus does not agree with Motacilla in having the tertiaries as 

 long as the secondaries. 



The birds of this genus are preeminently characteristic of the 

 densely wooded mountain-streams of South-eastern Asia, and 

 range from Cashmere to the hill-ranges of China and Java, 

 though nowhere found in India south of the Himalaya. Their 

 plumage, with the single exception of H. ruficapillus, is entirely 

 black and white ; and their habits, so far as we know them, are 

 very similar. They frequent forest-streams and torrents in the 

 lower ranges of mountains, and rarely stray either into the plains 

 or the upper regions of the Himalaya ; though Dr. Stoliczka has 

 procured H. scouleri at an elevation of 12,000 feet. 



Their motions are so active and lively that they form a con- 

 spicuous feature in Himalayan scenery, being usually found 

 either singly or in pairs, flitting rapidly from rock to rock 

 by the side of the most rapid torrents. They appear to be very 

 partial to the neighbourhood of a waterfall or rapid. They make 

 a large nest of moss and fibres, which is placed under a rock 



* [Blyth (J. A. S. B. xvi. p. lo7), placing H. rujicapilliis first on his 

 list of the members of the genus, by no means commits himself to the 

 opinion that that species must be considered the type of the genus. 

 There can be no doubt that H. velatm is the type of Henicurus, that 

 being the only species published, with the description of the genus, in 

 the 27th livraison of the ' Planches Coloriees,' issued 26th July 1823 

 {Cf. Crotch, Ibis, 1868, p. 500). H. coronatus, Temm., = 7/. leschmmdti, 

 was published in the 19th livr. 26 June 1824, and H. ruficapillus in the 

 90th livr. 28 July 1832. Gray gives (Gen. B. p. 41, 1855) H. Icschcnaulti 

 as the t}'pe of the genus, but is clearly wrong in so doing. — Ed.] 



